Potential AutoConfigURL Settings Hijack


Description

Identifies registry modification to modify the system internet proxy settings by an unusual process. This may indicate an attempt to hijack user internet traffic to certain websites.

Query · eql

registry where
 registry.path : "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\\AutoConfigURL" and
 registry.data.strings : "*http*" and not registry.data.strings : "*127.0.0.1*" and process.executable != null and
 (
  process.code_signature.trusted == false or
  process.code_signature.exists == false or
  process.name : ("powershell.exe", "wscript.exe", "cscript.exe")
  ) and
  not process.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\*", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*", "C:\\LexisNexis\\Shared\\RwEasyMAPI64.exe")
Raw source Potential AutoConfigURL Settings Hijack · Elastic TOML
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Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies registry modification to modify the system internet proxy settings by an unusual process. This may indicate
an attempt to hijack user internet traffic to certain websites.
"""
id = "6dd16a01-b779-4a39-b436-deed75f2c355"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Potential AutoConfigURL Settings Hijack"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.9"

query = '''
registry where
 registry.path : "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\\AutoConfigURL" and
 registry.data.strings : "*http*" and not registry.data.strings : "*127.0.0.1*" and process.executable != null and
 (
  process.code_signature.trusted == false or
  process.code_signature.exists == false or
  process.name : ("powershell.exe", "wscript.exe", "cscript.exe")
  ) and
  not process.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\*", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*", "C:\\LexisNexis\\Shared\\RwEasyMAPI64.exe")
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.4.0"
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[optional_actions]]
action = "rollback"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1112"
name = "Modify Registry"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.4.0"

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